India By Vu Pham

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In India classical music varies a lot with regions. Since there are 28 states in India some of the states have their own types of songs. Out of 28 states only some states have their own kind of music for example Bihu of Assam, Bauls, Bhangra, Dandiya, Ganasangeet, Uttarakhandi, Haryanvi, lavani, qawwali, rabindra and lastly Rajasthan. Out of 28 states there are 11 states with their own kind of music. The remaining states are mostly from the central and North India which they follow the two main classical music of the time which is the Hindustani and the Carnatic music.
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The Hindustani music came from a mix of multiple culture the vedic chant tradition dating back to approximately one thousand BCE, the equally ancient Persian tradition of Musiqi-e assil, and also existent folk traditions prevalent in the region.
Indian classical music has seven basic notes, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni, with five interspersed half-notes, resulting in a 12-note scale. Unlike the 12-note scale in Western music, the base frequency of the scale is not fixed, and intertonal gaps (temper) may also vary; however, with the gradual replacement of the sarangi by the harmonium, an equal tempered scale is increasingly used.
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The Carnatic is also one of the big traditional music of India like Hindustani. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in gāyaki (singing) style. Although there are stylistic differences, the basic elements of śruti (the relative musical pitch), swara (the music sound of a single note), rāga (the mode or melodic formulæ), and tala (the rhythmic cycles) form the foundation of improvisation and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Although improvisation plays an important role, Carnatic music is mainly sung through compositions.
Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, consisting of a principal performer (usually a vocalist), a melodic player(usually a violin), a rhythm player (usually a mridangam which is a drummer), and a tambura, which acts as a drone throughout the performance.